Joe Neguse

Democratic lawmakers are slamming the Trump administration after the Department of Justice filed charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver, Democrat of New Jersey.Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said on Monday that McIver would be charged with assault and impeding law enforcement following McIver and other Democrats’ inspection of a new immigration detention center in New Jersey on May 9.“The charges against me are purely political,” McIver said in a statement, and accused the Trump administration of trying to “criminalize and deter legislative oversight.”“This administration will never stop me from woInterim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba, left, arrives at the courthouse in Newark, New Jersey, on May 15.rking for the people in our district and standing up for what is right,” she added.In a joint statement, the House Democratic leadership denounced the charges.“There is no credible evidence that Rep. McIver engaged in any criminal activity, and she would not have been permitted to tour the facility had she done anything wrong,” the Democrats said, adding, “Everyone responsible for this illegitimate abuse of power is going to be held accountable for their actions. An attack on one of us is an attack on the American people.”The statement was signed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, Vice Chair Ted Lieu, and Assistant Leader Joe Neguse.Other Democrats piled on.Rep. Ayana Pressley of Massachusetts called the charges “baseless.” Frequent administration critic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas said the incident was “a political stunt—point blank.”Rep. Lori Trahan of Massachusetts noted how President Donald Trump had pardoned the insurrectionists who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but “is now using selectively edited footage in an attempt to justify the arrest of a political opponent.”The charges stand in stark contrast to the overly careful actions of the Department of Justice under former President Joe Biden. Then-Attorney General Merrick Garland declined to prosecute Republican members of Congress for their role in attempting to interfere in the 2020 election process, and he also did not pursue charges against elected members who may have been connected to the Jan. 6 attack.Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka speaks to supporters and media after a court appearance on May 15.While Garland's DOJ made every effort to avoid even the slightest appearance of partisanship, Trump and his administration are openly targeting Democrats under dubious pretenses.The FBI arrested a Wisconsin judge in late April, accusing her of obstructing efforts to deport a Mexican immigrant. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested at the same event associated with McIver’s charges, though he was later freed.Republicans have also threatened to charge other prominent Democrats with crimes for advocating for constitutional rights in connection with the administration’s anti-immigrant push. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers have been in the Trump team’s crosshairs on this front.Trump and his allies have gone all-in for authoritarianism and are using the American justice system to achieve their goals.Campaign Action

Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee adopted the land sales proposal early Wednesday morning. The initial draft had not included it amid bipartisan opposition.

At a lab in Fort Collins, scientists are researching how to incorporate artificial intelligence into the forecasting of hurricane paths and how to better predict storms' impact on wildfires. In Boulder, they're learning about ways to better forecast drought. Now that work is at risk as the Trump administration cuts the NOAA's budget.

Democrats are bashing President Trump for sharing market advice with his Truth Social followers Wednesday hours before announcing a 90-day pause on most of his sweeping tariffs, elevating calls for a ban on congressional stock trading.Why it matters: The badly bruised market soared on Wednesday following Trump's freeze on the historic levies — leaving some critics questioning who benefitted from the market mayhem."BE COOL! Everything is going to work out well," Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday morning.The minutes later he posted a separate message: "THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!"Then, early Wednesday afternoon, Trump abruptly announced the decision to suspend all but 10% baseline tariffs while hiking China levies to 125%.Driving the news: That timeline turned some Democratic heads."These constant gyrations in policy provide dangerous opportunities for insider trading," Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) wrote on social media. On Thursday he shared a letter he co-authored with Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) to inquire who knew about the U-turn ahead of time. "An insider trading scandal is brewing," Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) chimed in. "Trump's 9:30am tweet makes it clear he was eager for his people to make money off the private info only he knew."Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) questioned in a video, "How is this not market manipulation?"What they're saying: "It is the responsibility of the President of the United States to reassure the markets and Americans about their economic security in the face of nonstop media fearmongering," White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Axios. "Democrats railed against China's cheating for decades, and now they're playing partisan games instead of celebrating President Trump's decisive action yesterday to finally corner China," the statement said. A Securities and Exchange Commission spokesperson declined to comment to Axios. By the numbers: The Dow soared nearly 8% Wednesday, the S&P 500 index ballooned by more than 9% and Nasdaq closed up 12%, Axios' Nathan Bomey reported. In a since-scrutinized video of the president introducing Charles Schwab in the Oval Office Wednesday afternoon, Trump joked that Schwab, "made two-and-a-half billion today."Data: Financial Modeling Prep; Chart: Axios VisualsZoom out: Some progressive Dems used the trade flip-flop as an opportunity to urge for a long-floated ban on members of Congress trading stock."Members of Congress should never be allowed to trade stocks. Period," Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) wrote on Bluesky.Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) re-upped his call for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to bring legislation banning congressional stock trading to the floor, adding, "enough is enough!"Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) echoed that sentiment, writing, "Any member of Congress who purchased stocks in the last 48 hours should probably disclose that now." She added she'd been "hearing some interesting chatter on the floor" and predicted "we're about to learn a few things" with the financial disclosure deadline looming on May 15.Context: The STOCK Act, passed in 2012, requires members of Congress to file financial disclosures of their stock trades within 30 days and established new penalties for insider trading, according to the Campaign Legal Center.But lawmakers are not banned from investing in companies, even ones that their work may intersect with. A 2022 New York Times analysis of members' transactions between 2019 and 2021 found that at least 97 lawmakers bought or sold stock, bonds or other assets related to their work or reported similar transactions by their spouse or child.Yes, but: Trump's news came as a shock to many Republicans on the Hill, Axios' Andrew Solender reported.Mixed messaging from the White House — and a lack of advanced notice before Trump backed down — left GOP allies recovering from tariff whiplash alongside rest of the country and griping that loyalists were not looped in on the plans.The other side: U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer, who was testifying on Capitol Hill as Trump's announcement hit, said during questioning from Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) that Trump's tariff pause isn't "market manipulation."Horsford replied, "Then what is it? Because it sure is not a strategy."Greer answered, "We're trying to reset the global trading system."Go deeper: Inside the Oval: 3 reasons Trump buckled on tariffs

Republicans argue that the increase of nationwide injunctions is the result of "activist liberal judges."

The measure would prevent federal district court judges from stalling the president’s agenda with sweeping orders.

A federal judge on Friday heard that the lawyers for prominent Denver immigration advocate Jeanette Vizguerra anticipate amending their petition for her release by adding a claim that officials detained her in retaliation for First Amendment-protected activity.

The Democratic members of Colorado's congressional delegation are calling on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to resign or be fired in the wake of recent revelations that he was part of a group chat that included a prominent journalist in discussions...

Democrats are aghast after the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic reported that he was accidentally added to an unsecure text chain in which Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and multiple other top national security and Trump administration officials discussed planning a military strike in Yemen.The Trump administration says the text chain—in which the officials were discussing not only whether to strike the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group, but how and when they would do it—is authentic. They are looking into how Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg was added to the thread.But the fact that the Trump administration officials were discussing classified and highly sensitive military plans on a messaging app is the real problem.Goldberg reported that Hegseth was discussing information that, “could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East, Central Command’s area of responsibility.”He also reported that multiple national security lawyers said Waltz “may have violated several provisions of the Espionage Act, which governs the handling of ‘national defense’ information.”From Goldberg’s report:All of these lawyers said that a U.S. official should not establish a Signal thread in the first place. Information about an active operation would presumably fit the law’s definition of “national defense” information. The Signal app is not approved by the government for sharing classified information. The government has its own systems for that purpose. If officials want to discuss military activity, they should go into a specially designed space known as a sensitive compartmented information facility, or SCIF—most Cabinet-level national-security officials have one installed in their home—or communicate only on approved government equipment, the lawyers said. Normally, cellphones are not permitted inside a SCIF, which suggests that as these officials were sharing information about an active military operation, they could have been moving around in public. Had they lost their phones, or had they been stolen, the potential risk to national security would have been severe.And on top of that, Goldberg reported that by using an app like Signal—where texts are set to disappear—the Trump officials could also have been violating federal record laws.“If you read one article today, make it this one,” Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) wrote in a post on X of Goldberg’s report. “Total incompetence, yet again. And putting our national security at great risk.”Democrats are now demanding information and threatening to launch investigations.“Only one word for this: FUBAR,” Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), who served as an Army intelligence officer in Iraq, wrote in a post on Bluesky, referring to the military slang term to describe something as “Fucked Up Beyond All Repair.” “If House Republicans won’t hold a hearing on how this happened IMMEDIATELY, I’ll do it my damn self.”xOnly one word for this: FUBAR. If House Republicans won’t hold a hearing on how this happened IMMEDIATELY, I’ll do it my damn self.— Pat Ryan (@pkryan.bsky.social) 2025-03-24T17:11:19.201ZRep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) also said he will demand an investigation.xThis article completely exposes the Trump Administration's incompetent and irresponsible methods of handling our national security.— Rep. Salud Carbajal (@carbajal.house.gov) 2025-03-24T17:30:22.300ZSen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who lost both of her legs while serving in Iraq, was aghast at the recklessness of the Trump administration officials.xPete Hegseth, the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in history, is demonstrating his incompetence by literally leaking classified war plans in the group chat... Hegseth and Trump are making our country less safe.— Tammy Duckworth (@duckworth.senate.gov) 2025-03-24T19:54:18.418ZSen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said, “Every single one of the government officials on this text chain have now committed a crime – even if accidentally – that would normally involve a jail sentence.”And Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) connected the incompetence of the Trump administration’s national security officials to the Trump giving co-President Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency bros access to Americans’ personal information.“The Trump Administration, which just committed one of the biggest and most incompetent national security breaches in history, is also giving Elon Musk and his team of unvetted lackeys access to every American's personal information,” Beyer wrote, putting in stark terms just how much trouble we all are in with these fools leading the federal government.Ultimately, there is so much irony to this story.First, almost every member of that chain criticized former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, citing national security concerns.“Talk about a DOUBLE STANDARD: Biden’s sitting National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan sent top secret emails to Hillary Clinton’s private account and the DOJ didn't do a DAMN THING about it,” Waltz—who is responsible for adding Goldberg to the text chain in which they were recklessly discussing military operations—said in a 2023 appearance on Fox News. “No wonder Americans are losing faith in our justice system.”xTalk about a DOUBLE STANDARD: Biden’s sitting National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan sent top secret emails to Hillary Clinton’s private account and the DOJ didn't do a DAMN THING about it.No wonder Americans are losing faith in our justice system. pic.twitter.com/ZAuekdCz1r— Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) June 12, 2023“Seems like every day there are new revelations on how Hillary's private email server put national security at risk,” Rubio wrote in a 2016 tweet."Hillary Clinton put some of the highest, most sensitive intelligence information on her private server because maybe she thinks she's above the law, or maybe she just wanted the convenience of being able to read it on her Blackberry,” Rubio also said at a campaign event for his failed presidential bid in January 2016. “This is unacceptable."Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.Even more ironic is that just last week, Hegseth reported that the Department of Defense was going to be investigating who leaked his plan to brief co-President Elon Musk on the United States' plans for war with China—another thing that makes Americans less safe as there is no reason Musk should be privy to that information. Given that Hegseth is discussing confidential military plans via Signal, maybe he should look in the mirror for why that information leaked.Worst of all, as Democrats lambast the Trump administration officials and call for investigations, Republicans have been virtually silent—even though they would be screaming to the heavens if a Democratic administration had done anything even remotely similar.As of press time, few Republican lawmakers have commented. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) posted on X, “Classified information should not be transmitted on unsecured channels—and certainly not to those without security clearances, including reporters. Period. Safeguards must be put in place to ensure this never happens again.” Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) told Semafor’s Burgess Everett that it, “Sounds like a huge screw up. I mean, is there any other way to describe it?” We can guarantee that Cornyn would’ve had much stronger words if it had been Biden administration officials doing the same.And Trump himself used the age-old excuse that he hadn’t heard the news in order to avoid commenting on it.“I don't know anything about it. I'm not a big fan of The Atlantic. To me, it's a magazine that's going out of business. ...You're telling me about it for the first time,” Trump told reporters on Monday.xxYouTube VideoIf the commander in chief did not yet know about the fact that his top aides were putting the country at risk by discussing military operations via text message, then that’s a scandal in and of itself. Thank you to the Daily Kos community who continues to fight so hard with Daily Kos. Your reader support means everything. We will continue to have you covered and keep you informed, so please donate just $3 to help support the work we do.

A federal judge on Wednesday scheduled a hearing for next week on the petition filed by prominent Denver immigration advocate Jeanette Vizguerra, who authorities took into custody this week.

Lawmakers are seeking to counter a signature campaign issue for now-President Donald Trump amid tariff talk and downward trends in the market.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump is scheduled to give his first joint address to Congress since taking office in January.

Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich of Colorado, who is a member of the federal appeals court based in Denver, spoke to a congressional subcommittee on Tuesday to convey the federal judiciary's support for adding more than five dozen new judgeships across...

New York Rep. Mike Lawler, here at a campaign rally in Congers in October, is weighing a bid for governor. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Climate scientists tell us “the wettest wets and the driest dries” will worsen as our planet gets hotter. As with the Marshall Fire, weather whiplash and high winds converged to fuel the monstrous Los Angeles fires. Studies have shown that these fires were made substantially more likely by climate change. That recent event is a bitter reminder of why laws like the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are so important. Yet, the current administration has frozen federal funding and efforts to partially or completely repeal the Inflation Reduction Act are underway. We can’t let that happen. We must preserve the progress that was made and continue our efforts to protect our homes and our planet.

A sudden freeze on federal spending by the Trump administration — set to take effect Tuesday — sent Colorado officials scrambling as they tried to figure out the extent and impact of the decision.

Despite campaigning as a climate champion in Colorado’s bluest district, U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse has become one of Congress’ most vocal cheerleaders for cutting down tens of millions of acres of carbon-storing forests across the West, one of the largest sources of CO2 emissions in the U.S.

Welcome to Briefly, Colorado Politics' daily news briefing. Here's what's happening today:

Welcome to Briefly, Colorado Politics' daily news briefing. Here's what's happening today:

More than $80 million was spent on Colorado's eight congressional races this election cycle, final campaign filings and independent spending reports show -- but that money wasn't spread evenly across the districts.

This election showed us a lot of things — many that are deeply unsettling, but others that should offer us a glimmer of hope. We may not be the country we want to be and we may be headed down a long and dark path, but locally, we are continuing to build a good community and we are continuing to prioritize equality and inclusiveness, and that should be enough reason to remain hopeful.

The Gazette's portfolio of publications — including The Gazette in Colorado Springs, The Denver Gazette and Colorado Politics — will be bringing you the latest on local, state and national politics throughout Election Day. Check back for updates.

Election Day will mark almost precisely two-thirds of the way through Colorado Republican Greg Lopez's six-month tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Animal Wellness Action endorses Neguse, Crow

The 2024 presidential election will have implications for energy, public lands and climate policies that will affect millions in Colorado and across the Rocky Mountain West.

Three-term U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse again faces a challenge for his seat in the House of Representatives from Longmont-based tech worker Marshall Dawson.

Democratic nominees in all but one of Colorado's eight U.S. House races more than doubled their Republican opponents' fundraising hauls in the final reporting period before next month's election, according to federal campaign finance reports filed this week.

Rep. Joe Neguse: Talking with voters has reinforced the importance of enacting policies to grow the middle class, tackling the threat of climate change and its consequences (including the increased frequency of wildfires and drought), and building safer communities, including reducing gun violence.

The fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention is underway, culminating with Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party’s nomination for president

As delegates are excited to hear from VP Harris on Thursday, there is a lengthy list of speakers to take the stage on Thursday.

Colorado's congressional delegation on Wednesday once again urged the Internal Revenue Service not to treat refunds issued under the state's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights as taxable income.

First responders were onsite within minutes of the Lake Shore Fire erupting and fought hard to defend our close-knit community. Despite the tragic loss of one of our neighbor’s homes, most of our properties survived without issue. The phenomenally fast response from the entire disaster management team and sheriff's office, combined with a lack of wind, enabled the first responders to quickly get things under control.

It didn't come close to breaking Zoom — like some of the virtual campaign rallies that inspired Colorado Democrats to hold one of their own have — but last week's local version connected hundreds of in-state Kamala Harris supporters and...

Colorado Democrats hailed Vice President Kamala Harris' announcement Tuesday that she had picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, calling the home-spun military veteran and former social studies teacher an ideal addition to the Democratic ticket.

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill on Thursday that would add judgeships to Colorado's federal trial court for the first time in 40 years.

SOUTH DAKOTA

A number of Democratic lawmakers, governors and past leaders were quick to rally behind Vice President Harris as she pursues the Democratic Party's presidential nomination following President Biden's withdrawal from the race. Shortly after dropping out of the presidential race, Biden endorsed Harris as his successor, stating it is "time to come together and beat" [...]

Many of Colorado's leading Democratic elected officials and others who will have a say in picking the party's presidential ticket said Sunday that they support nominating Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden's historic decision to withdraw from the...

Colorado's elected officials quickly praised President Joe Biden's decision to step out of the race for reelection on Sunday.

The Democratic nominees in Colorado's two competitive congressional districts head into the fall campaign with enormous cash advantages over their Republican opponents.